BoxRec

According to Don Majeski's e-mail to the International Research Boxing Organization, Malcolm "Flash" Gordon, the reclusive and colorful publisher/editor of Tonight's Boxing Program (TBP) from the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s, apparently has passed away. Majeski learned about the death of Flash when attempting to visit Flash. He found the door to Flash's apartment padlocked. A porter told Majeski that the apartment was unoccupied. Then a woman neighbor told Majeski that Flash had passed away, leaving no relatives or heirs, and his apartment, which contained many items, was completely cleaned out. Majeski planned to follow up and find out more about the Flasher's death.

At first, Flash sold copies of Tonight's Boxing Program, a weekly publication, at various boxing venues on fight nights. Later on, Flash sent copies of TBP to subscribers by mail. Flash was a very hard-working individual who put out a highly informative, often humorous and hard-hitting publication, which became required reading for avid fans and insiders of boxing during its heyday. The Flasher was instrumental in exposing many irregularities of the infamous ABC/Ring Magazine boxing tournament during the late 1970s, resulting in the tournament ending prematurely, Ring Magazine's reputation being badly damaged and Mark Kram, the highly regarded Sports Illustrated writer, being fired from his job. After ceasing to publish TBP during the mid-1980s, Flash seemed to virtually disappear from sight for the last thirty.

- Chuck Johnston

Damn, what a sad way for Gordon to go. Terrible actually.
Hopefully, his was a quick passing in his sleep. I'd hate to think of the poor guy lingering on in ever failing health with no one to take care of him or look after him.

I absolutely adored his programs/newsletters.
First discovering them as a young fan of about 16, maybe 17 years old back in 1978.
I used to borrow them from an older gentleman that was a friend of Buffalo's late, great trainer/manager Johnny Sudac who operated Singer's Gym downtown where I was training at the time.
Unfortunately, the guy was a collector, so I had to return them to him once I was finished reading them. So, my own personal collection is on the small side. Something that I've tried to remedy over the years, but copies of it are very difficult to come by. But, I'm always on the look out for more.
With my personal "Holy Grails" being the programs for the Ken Norton vs Duane Bobick card at MSG & the program for the Eddie Gregory vs Pat Cuillo/Cocoa Sanchez vs Ralph Racine double header at the Felt Forum. Also, the TBP/newsletters that featured the results & aftermath of those two cards.